Night of the Dragon

The dragonspawn and its foe circled around one another and for the first time, Rom had some inkling of who it was the creature faced. One of the elven races, but it did not look like a blood elf. In fact, what glimpses he saw resembled—

The hood of the figure's cloak fell back, revealing silver-white hair flowing down well past her shoulders. That she was female Rom had figured moments before. She was also very skilled with her weapons... as any high elven ranger would have been.

Only...there were not supposed to be many high elves left at all.

Even in the dark, he knew the outfit she would be wearing. Knee-high leather boots. Forest-green pants and blouse, with a form-fitting breastplate over the latter. Over her hands and extending to her elbows were thin gloves that still allowed her to perfectly grip the string of a bow, her other favored weapon.

Rom even knew her name, now that he saw her close. It was a name seared into his memory, for she had shared in the struggle to bring down the orcs of Grim Batol.

'Vereesa Windrunner...' he rumbled to himself. 'Aye...Grim Batol is calling in ghosts now, too....'

But she was no ghost, he knew. Rather, she was the mate of the wizard, Rhonin. That much Rom knew. Why she was here, though, he did not understand.

But did that mean that Rhonin, too, was close by?

The other dwarves swarmed the dragonspawn. Between Vereesa and them, Rom saw that the situation was well in hand. It was the moment to make his move.

The dwarven commander slipped away, heading to the cave mouth. Time was limited and it was only luck that the second guard had not had the breath yet to call for help.

Rom scrambled up toward the cave. As a dwarf, he could instinctively ferret out the best places to secrete himself. Then, with caution, he would push deeper, until finally he found the source of...

His plans were cut off by an unnerving glow radiating from within the cave. Rom knew what that glow presaged and now was not the time for a confrontation.

Swearing under his breath, he spun about. They had to retreat, but could not until they had dealt with the second dragonspawn. It was down on its knees but still battling despite several obvious wounds.

Thrusting the ax handle between his teeth, Rom leapt as well as a dwarf could. He landed atop the dragonspawn's back end, then pulled himself up. Legs gripping the monster's sides, Rom took the ax and burled the head in the guard's back.

The blade barely pierced the scaled hide. Flinging another dwarf away, the dragonspawn tried to reach back to Rom. The great claws came within an inch of his face, but could stretch no farther.

The high elf struck again, cutting into the dragonspawn's thick arm. The huge creature turned back to face her.

Gritting his teeth, Rom landed a second blow. With the precision of the veteran he was, he managed to hit the exact same spot.

The ax sank deeper. Thick, dark fluids spurted out.

The guard shook. Grenda and another dwarf managed small but significant wounds to its flank. The high elf severed a finger.

Rom planted a third blow directly where the others had landed.

The dragonspawn gave a shiver, then dropped. Rom all but rolled off, only just managing to cling to his weapon as he landed.

'Let's get you away from here!' he quietly rumbled.

Her long eyes widened. 'Rom—'

'The tearful reunions can wait 'til later, milady! There's somethin' coming that you don't want to be around for!'

She had sense enough to nod and follow. Around them, the other dwarves were more perplexed.

'We're bringing her with us?' asked Grenda. 'A blood elf?'

'I am no blood elf!' Vereesa snapped with much vehemence for one of her kind. 'I am and shall always be a ranger of the high elf people!'

'No time for talk!' Rom growled. 'Hurry!'

Even as they started moving, the glow began to radiate from the cave mouth.

'What is that?' Vereesa demanded.

Their leader swore again. 'Get a move on it, milady!'

Vereesa hardly had trouble keeping up with Rom. Indeed, he could barely catch his breath, while she seemed not in the least strained.

Daring to glance over his shoulder, Rom saw that the glow had now fully emerged from the cave. The source was a staff with a crystalline head. The wielder was none other than the blood elf. He looked around, but not in the direction in which the dwarves and their new companion had run.

Then, the landscape hid the blood elf and his sinister toy from sight of the dwarf. Rom had an inclination to slow even then, though. The dwarves continued to run at as good a clip as their short, thick legs could stand. Each moment, Rom expected to discover the fiendish blood elf at their heels, but only darkness met his anxious gaze.

At long last, they reached what Rom considered safety. The hidden entrance to the tunnels lay just a few yards ahead. With the ranger beside him, the dwarven commander stepped over to it.

'Rom of the Bronzebeards,' Vereesa murmured as the dwarven commander tapped once on a huge rock with the bottom of his ax. The rock slid away, revealing the entrance beneath.

'Milady Vereesa...I would say 'tis good to see you, but there's nothing good when it involves Grim Batol....' He gestured for her to slide down. Although she was much taller than them, her slim form easier fit through.

Rom did not enter until the last of his followers had gone down. As he dropped in, he took one last look. Still no glow. Nodding, he slid the stone in place.

Vereesa, almost kneeling, studied the tunnels. 'There is much interference in this region against magic.'

'Aye, the area for a great distance around is pocketed with these crystal formations.'

She touched one of the glittering formations thrusting out of a wall. 'Curious. They look perfectly normal...but I have never heard of such a thing in such quantity....'

'Be thankful it's here, milady, or that beast of a blood elf would've found us all by now.'

She paid the last no mind at all, seizing instead on another part of his dire statement. ''Blood elf! You have seen him? He is in Grim Batol?'

'There's a blood elf in Grim Batol, aye! He and the dark lady! They're both—'

The ranger knelt down in front of Rom. Although very much enamored with the looks of his own female kind, Rom could not help admiring her exotic beauty... and the terrible concern behind it. 'It is the blood elf that I want to hear about!' Anger filled her musical voice. 'To think that I was so near! But... It has to be the right one! Have you—have you seen him up close?'

Rom let out a harsh laugh and showed her the stump at the end of his arm. 'Just before a damned drakonid did this, I was as close to the blood elf as you are to me now....'

'Describe him!'

'He was a blood elf!' That was enough for any dwarf, but Vereesa obviously wanted more. Rom concentrated, trying to recall details. As best he could, he mentioned the shape of the face, the tone of the voice, and even the glowing green orbs. Nothing seemed distinctive to him, but the more he said, the more cold the ranger's expression became.

'That will be enough,' she finally said. Her eyes closed briefly in contemplation before she looked again at Rom and muttered, 'It can only be him....'

'Him who? You think you know him?' Even as he asked, Rom wanted to bite his tongue. It was very possible that she knew this blood elf, for their foul kind had originated from the high elves. They had taken the ways of demons to fight demons—indeed, actually draining the magic from the demons like leeches—and, in the eyes of humans, dwarves, and those few high elves who had held to their old ways, cursed themselves for all eternity. This blood elf was very likely an old friend, even a comrade from Vereesa's days as a ranger. Small wonder she would be bitter about him.

“I know this blood elf, yes,' she finally answered. “I know him well. I have followed his trail since the night